The present invention relates generally to transferring files between subscribers of a communications system.
Online service providers are constantly offering new services and upgrading existing services to enhance their subscribers"" online experience. Subscribers have virtually on-demand access to news, weather, financial, sports, and entertainment services as well as the ability to transmit electronic messages and to participate in online discussion groups. For example, subscribers of online service providers such as America Online or CompuServe may view and retrieve information on a wide variety of topics from servers located throughout the world. A server may be maintained by the service provider or by a third party provider who makes information and services available through the worldwide network of computers that make up the online service.
America Online has provided subscribers with the ability to send and receive instant messages. Instant messages are private online conversations between two or more people who have subscribed to the instant messaging service and have installed the necessary software. Because such online conversations take place virtually in real time, instant messaging can provide immediate access to desired information. Instant messaging is becoming a preferred means of communicating among online subscribers.
In one general aspect, an image sent between subscribers of a communications system is displayed by receiving electronic data corresponding to the image; displaying a blurred view of the image; and gradually displaying a sharper version of the image in response to user input.
Implementations may include displaying a blurred view of the image by partially rendering the image data; setting preferences for receiving images; and allowing the user to reject the image. A graphic user interface may be presented to the user for setting preferences and/or rejecting the images.
The communications system may be an instant messaging system. The image data may be received as an instant message and/or compressed to standardized image size. An instant message may be displayed concurrently with the blurred view and/or the sharpened view of the image in a separate dialog box. The image may be an icon and may be associated with a sender of an instant message and/or an e-mail message.
Embodiments may be implemented by an apparatus and/or by a computer program stored on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may be a disc, a client device, a host device, and/or a propagated signal.